Volume 13 "Jiyan

Or they may ask, "All the immortals in ancient times obtained their knowledge through learning and thus possessed extraordinary qi." Baopuzi replied, "What is 欤?" All of them followed their teachers with their books, accumulated their diligence, braved the frost and rain, and personally swept and worked hard. Only then did they show faith and practice. Eventually, they were tested in times of hardship. They were steadfast in their nature and steadfast in their conduct, with no resentment in their hearts. Only then were they allowed to enter the hall and enter the room. Some cease due to weariness, some retreat because of resentment, some return to mundane pursuits after being lured by fame and fortune, some lose their aspiration for simplicity after being defeated by heresies, some work in the morning but expect to achieve success in the evening, and some practice while sitting and expect to see results. Among ten thousand people, there is one who remains unmoved by the beauty of wealth and unshaken by the words of the common people. Therefore, those who act are like cowhairs, while those who gain are as rare as the horns. A powerful crossbow is used to shoot arrows. Those who cross great rivers should be protected by proper means. A well will not be dug until it reaches a spring. If one step has not been reached, one will not go further. The burden of polishing and painting cannot be achieved by moving the sundial. The height of the sky is not the result of a single fall. However, those who rise high are troubled by the lack of strength when they fall high; those who follow the Tao are troubled by the failure to achieve their goals when they are just completed. A thousand warehouses and ten thousand boxes are not the result of a single plowing. A tree that reaches the sky does not grow in just a few days. The abyss of the unpredictable begins with the ripples in the water. The talent of Tao Zhu must accumulate hundreds or even thousands. If others retreat and oneself advances, that is why Yin Zi reaches the ultimate path. Respect the deceased as if they were at the beginning, and envy the clouds and dragons that have reached the gate. "I am sincere and resolute. Who else is there?" " Baopuzi said, "Since the common people cannot be born, they must be forced to be born." One should not waste what has been exhausted. The flow of a river cannot fill a bottomless vessel. Even if an ordinary person has little profit but much expense, how could he not contribute? How much more so if there is not a penny in return but a thousand in return? No one is young or old, and everyone is ill; it all depends on the severity of the illness. And the extent of being mistreated varies; the more, the later it is exhausted; the less, the faster it is exhausted. Those who know to make up for it and save it must first restore the old order, and then seek the benefits of the scale. If one is made to consume it all day long, the flesh will fly and the bones will leap, the guidance will change, the feathers will spread evenly, and there will be no people in the world who believe in it. It is feared that the advantage of the ladle is not yet firm, while the cost of the stone is not yet high; the foundation is not yet solid, but the poison of ice and frost is attacking. Not knowing that the fault lies within oneself, one instead claims that the way is of no benefit. Therefore, the pills are scattered and the breathing exercises are stopped. Therefore, it is said that it is not the difficulty of achieving immortality, but the difficulty of hearing the truth. It is not that it is difficult to hear the truth, but to put it into practice. It is not the difficulty of doing it, but the difficulty of ending it. A good craftsman can set rules for others, but he cannot make them skillful. A wise teacher can impart prescriptions to others, but he cannot force them to follow them. Cultivating the Tao is like sowing grains; achieving it is like accumulating it. Although the fields are fertile and the water is beautiful, if they are not cultivated at the right time, the plowing and hoeing are not done in time, and the crops are planted in ridges. If there is no harvest, there will be no ploughing. Even if there are many acres, there will still be no harvest. Ordinary people not only do not know that what is beneficial is beneficial, but also do not know that what is detrimental is detrimental. It is easy to know what is detrimental and it is quick to do so, while what is beneficial is hard to know and it is slow to do so. If people do not understand the ease, how can they recognize the difficulty? The loss of it is like the burning of fat by a lamp; it is not visible but suddenly exhausted. Those who benefit from it are like the sowing of seedlings; if not noticed, they will suddenly become lush. Therefore, when cultivating one's character and nature, one must be meticulous and careful. One should not neglect to improve oneself just because of minor gains, nor should one neglect to prevent minor losses just because they cause no harm. All things gather small, so they become big; all things accumulate to a billion. If one can love in the small details and achieve in the obvious, one will almost know. Some may ask, "In ancient times, were there any that had nothing to do but occasionally grew on their own?" Baopuzi replied, "There is nothing." Or, by following a wise teacher and accumulating merit and diligence, one will be granted the medicine for synthesis. Some people, having received secret recipes and made them themselves, did not engage in worldly affairs and did not burden their words with the mundane world. Those who only recorded their names but could not fully understand the reasons for their attainment of immortality are thus absent. In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor was born with the ability to speak and command a hundred spirits. He could be said to have a natural body bestowed by heaven, yet he still could not sit upright to attain enlightenment. Therefore, he ascended to the Wang House to receive the elixir scriptures, reached the Ding Lake to receive the flying pearls, climbed the Kongtong to ask the Guangcheng questions, with all the resources and major affairs 隗, he served the middle yellow in the east mountain, consulted the Juanzi in the Golden valley, learned about the two daughters of xuan and Su in Daoyang, visited the mountain Jili Mu in Jingtui Bu, inquired about the divination of Fenghou, received the diagnosis of the body from Lei Qi, analyzed the strategies of the five tones in military battles, recorded the words of the White Marsh in the spirit of evil, and wrote the theories of qingwu in geography. To save the disabled, one must master the art of metal smelting. Therefore, he was able to master the esoteric essentials, explore the truth of the Tao, and thus ascend to the position of a dragon to ascend to a high position, reaching the ultimate confusion with heaven and earth. However, according to the Sutra of Immortals, it is all stated that the Yellow Emperor and Laozi served Taiyi Yuanjun to receive the essentials. How could there be anyone who could achieve immortality and save the world without being able to catch up with these two emperors? I have never heard of it." Some say, "When the Yellow Emperor examines immortals, what is the purpose of the tomb on Qiaoshan?" Baopuzi replied, "According to the Jing Shan Jing and the Long Shou Ji, it is said that after the Yellow Emperor took the divine elixir, the dragon came to welcome him. The ministers were all in awe and thought of him. Some even took a few of his staffs and built temples to worship him." Or take their clothes and crowns, bury them and keep them. The Legend of the Immortals states: The Yellow Emperor chose his own date of death. He left seventy days later and returned seventy days later. He was buried on Qiao Mountain. Suddenly, the mountain mausoleum collapsed, and the tomb was empty with no body, but the sword Gorge remained. Although these various theories are different, they all aim to be immortals. There are many sayings about the Yellow Emperor and the immortals in Taoist books and the various schools of thought. However, the Confucian school refused to make any strange or unconventional remarks and focused on the rites and teachings. As for the affairs of immortals, they could not be used to criticize the common people. Therefore, it was said that he died to please the people. Zhu Yi Luan Ba Yu Gong, having made great contributions to the people, all the common folk built temples and shrines for him. In ancient times, when a person of great virtue passed away, his officials would record his achievements on immortal vessels. Nowadays, the emperor has been moving around for a long time, and officials and people long for him. There are often people who erect steles to praise his virtue. This is also because the Yellow Emperor had temples and tombs. How can this prove that he was bound to die? Some people may ask, "Peng Zu lived eight hundred years, and An Qi lived three thousand. Such a long life is extraordinary." If there is a way to immortality, why not become an immortal? Could it be that one is destined to be mistreated and thus has its own shortcomings, but he has received an excessive amount from time to time. The reason cannot be delayed, so he is inevitably doomed to die? Baopuzi replied, "According to the scripture of Peng Zu, since the reign of Emperor 喾 zuo Yao, he served as a minister from the Xia Dynasty to the Yin Dynasty. The king of Yin sent maidens to learn the art of the house, and it was effective. He intended to kill Peng Zu to cut off his way, but Peng Zu realized this and fled." When he passed away, he was over seven or eight hundred years old. It was not because of death. According to the records of Huangshi Gong, more than seventy years after Peng Zu's death, his disciples saw him to the west of the quicksand. It was no longer clear that he had died. Among Peng Zu's disciples, there were Qingyi Wugong, Heixue Gong, Xiumei Gong, Baitu Gongzi, Li Lou Gong, Taizu Jun, Gaoqiu Zi, and Wu Lai, about seven or eight of them. Each lived for several hundred years and passed away in Yin. How could Peng Zu be willing to die? Liu Xiang's records of the biographies of immortals also state that Peng Zu was an immortal. Mr. Anqi, who sold medicine by the seaside, has been seen by the people of Langya for over a thousand years. Emperor Qin Shi Huang asked for a reply for three days and three nights. His words were lofty, his intentions far-reaching, and he was well-versed and well-supported. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was impressed and bestowed upon him a golden disc worth tens of millions of yuan. He received it on a regular basis and placed it in the Fuxiang Pavilion. As a reward, he measured it with a red jade pendant and left a letter saying, "For another several thousand years, please take it to Penglai Mountain." Thus, it is to see that the First Emperor was already a thousand years old, not to be dead. The First Emperor was extremely violent and arrogant, and was the one in the world who should not believe in immortals. It is also not the case that one answers it in a way that is not right. As for the matter of asking An Qi about immortality, An Qi's answer was appropriate. The First Emperor was enlightened and believed that there must be a way of immortality for those who are idle in the world. He was both generous and kind to the deceased, and was willing to learn the matter of immortality. However, since there was no enlightened teacher, he was deceived by people like Lu Ao and Xu Fu, so he could not accept it. If Mr. Anqi, the envoy, has no evidence to support his words, and within three days and three nights, it is sufficient to subdue him, then the First Emperor will surely cook and slaughter, and will not avoid the disaster of 俎. How can he obtain such generous benefits? Some may ask, "In this world, there are people who take medicine, regulate their qi and guide their movements, but still fail to die. Why is that?" Baopuzi replied, "Even if one cannot obtain golden elixirs, taking herbs and practicing minor arts can prolong life and delay death. One cannot become an immortal." Or if one only knows how to take herbal medicine but does not understand the essential techniques for prolonging life, one will never have the principle of longevity. If one does not know how to wear divine talismans, observe precepts, think about the spirit of the body, and adhere to the true unity, then internal diseases will not arise, and rheumatism will not invade the ears. If evil spirits, mountain spirits or water suddenly poison him, he will die. Or if one cannot enter the mountains, allowing the mountain god to cause trouble, then demons and ghosts will try it, fierce beasts will attack it, stream poisons will strike it, and snakes will 蝮 sting it, leading to many deaths. This is not a single case. Or, in the later years of spiritual practice, one's own damage has already deepened and is difficult to mend. If the benefits of restoration are not supported by evidence and the disease follows and rectifies, then how can the act of suppression lead to immortality? What about those who pursue the Tao in their old age and become immortals, or those who pursue the Tao in their youth but fail? Although he is old, he has been exposed to a lot of qi. When one is exposed to a lot of qi, the damage is weak. When the damage is weak, it is easy to be nourished. Because it is easy to be nourished, one can become an immortal. Although he was young, he suffered less from anger. When he suffered less, he was deeply hurt. When the injury was deep, it was hard to save him. Because it was hard to save him, he could not become an immortal. Hibiscus and willows, when they are broken, will grow again; when they fall, they will thrive; when they lie down, they will thrive. Among all the changes in life, nothing is better than this wood. However, if it is buried too shallowly and not for long, with sudden peeling, shaking or pulling, even if it is surrounded by fertile soil and soaked in spring water, it still does not fall out of the withered and exhausted state. This is because its roots are 荄 unstable, it cannot release its sprouts in time, and the body fluids cannot generate vitality. The human body is fragile and hard to nourish. Just like two pieces of wood, it cannot reach far. And the reason for attacking and destroying it is that it is too much of a matter of stripping and shaking. Those who help are rare, while those who harm are numerous. It is appropriate to die. Those who expel the old and take in the new can promote the growth of qi, but when qi is severely weakened, it is difficult for it to grow. Those who take medicine nourish their blood, but when blood is exhausted, it is difficult to nourish. When one is running fast and gasping for breath, or is 欬 or full, exerting oneself to the point of exhaustion, being overly eager and short of energy, it is a sign of qi loss. If the complexion is dull, the skin is dry and waxy, the lips are charred and the pulse is white, and 腠理 is exhausted, it is a sign of reduced blood. If the two signs decline externally, the spiritual root will also wither internally. In this case, no medicine can be applied and the patient cannot be saved. All those who follow the way but fail to achieve it, and those who make a living and die, are not lacking in vitality and blood. However, the source of the qi and blood within the body has been lost, but only the branches and streams remain. Just like the ashes of water, the fire goes out but the smoke does not cease immediately. Even a broken tree still has leaves. Both of them are not without smoke or leaves, but the one that makes them smoke or leaves has already perished. The world regards the day when one realizes illness as illness, just as it considers the day when one's breath is exhausted as the sign of death. It is only because of the cold wind and dampness of summer that one does not know that cold wind and dampness of summer cannot harm the strong and healthy. It only affects those with weak constitutions and insufficient qi, who cannot bear it. Therefore, it is affected. How can we compare them? Suppose there are several people of the same age and strength, taking the same amount of food and drink, all living in the desert, and braving the cold night, with plain snow falling above and black ice freezing below, the cold wind breaking through the strips and making the night terrifying, 欬 saliva condensing 沍 on the lips. Then among them, there will be someone who is particularly cold and does not have to fall ill completely. It is not the cold air that is biased; it is the human body that is intolerant. Therefore, if one eats the same food together or only causes illness, it is not because the food is inherently toxic. When all the vessels drink together, whether sober or drunk, it is not due to the difference in the power of the wine. To die together in the sweltering heat or alone in 暍 is not a matter of public or private interests due to the heat. If one takes the same medicine at the same time and still feels drowsy and depressed, it is not because of the toxicity that one likes or dislikes. Therefore, when the wind rushes towards the forest, the withered trees will be crushed first. The mighty waves surge against the cliff, yet they break through the crevices and crumble. The flames spread like wildfire, and the scorching flowers were burned in front. The dragon bowl fell to the ground, and the brittle one broke alone. From this perspective, it can be seen that a person's lack of propriety and inherent illness can be triggered by wind, cold, heat and dampness in the ears. If one can keep the righteous energy from waning, the body and spirit will be in mutual protection, and nothing can be harmed. All those who pursue the Tao often suffer from problems in the late stage rather than in the early stage. Those who, due to their young age and strong physical strength, perform poorly on their own, suffer from various diseases, and their lives are in danger. They cannot take strong medicine but consume grass and trees, which can make them worse than ordinary people but cannot prolong their lifespan. Therefore, the Immortal Classic states: "Health preservation should be based on avoiding harm." This is the key point. Shennong said, "If all diseases are not cured, how can one achieve immortality?" "Truly believe that." " Or they may ask, "Isn't it the leisure of lust that harms one?" Baopuzi said, "Why is this the only one?" However, the key to immortality lies in the way of returning to old age. A senior official knows that it can prolong life and cure diseases. Secondly, one should not attack oneself. If one is still young and knows that they are still young, takes Yin pills to nourish the brain, and collects jade liquid from the long valley, and refuses to take medicine, they will not lose the age of three hundred, but they will not have immortal ears. Those who were not proficient in the techniques were used by the ancients to hold soup in ice cups or to store fire in feather buds. Moreover, due to one's lack of talent, one is trapped in thinking about it, which is a kind of injury. When one is unable to exert one's strength and forces oneself to do so, it causes harm. Sorrow and exhaustion are wounds. Excessive joy is a kind of pain. To be overly eager for what one desires is to cause harm. Long conversations and laughter can cause harm. When sleep is lost, it causes harm. Drawing the bow and pulling the crossbow, it's injury. Drunkenness and vomiting are injuries. Lying down immediately after a full meal is harmful. Jumping away is a sign of exhaustion and pain. Cheering and crying are wounds. When Yin and Yang do not interact, it causes injury. When injuries accumulate to the extreme, one will die prematurely. Premature death is not the way. Therefore, the ways of health preservation are as follows: do not sleep too far, do not walk too fast, do not listen too much, do not look too soon, do not sit for too long, do not lie down until tired, put on clothes before getting cold, relieve heat before getting hot, do not eat when extremely hungry, do not eat until full, do not drink when extremely thirsty, do not drink too much. Eating too much leads to accumulation, while drinking too much results in phlegm addiction. I do not wish to overwork or rest, do not wish to get up late, do not wish to sweat profusely, do not wish to sleep in abundance, do not wish to travel by carriage or horse, do not wish to gaze into the distance, do not wish to eat too much cold and raw food, do not wish to drink alcohol in the wind, do not wish to count and take a bath, do not wish to have lofty aspirations, do not wish to create extraordinary ingenuity. In winter, I do not wish for extreme heat; in summer, I do not wish for extreme coolness; I do not wish to lie under the stars when exposed, nor do I wish to see my shoulders while sleeping. I do not wish to face extreme cold or heat, strong winds or thick fog. When the five flavors enter the mouth, one should not have too much of them. Therefore, too much sourness harms the spleen, too much bitterness harms the lungs, too much pungency harms the liver, too much saltiness harms the heart, and too much sweetness harms the kidneys. This is the natural principle of the five elements. All those who speak of the injured are not easily aware of it. It is said that if it lasts for a long time, it will damage the ears. Therefore, those who are good at nurturing their health follow the four seasons of morning and evening when they lie down and get up, and have a very harmonious routine when they go to bed and live. To regulate the muscles and bones, there is a way of bending and tilting. Du Jixian was evil and had the ability to swallow and exhale. It is popular and has the methods of tonifying and purging. There is a distinction between balancing work and rest. Suppress anger to clear the Yin energy and restrain joy to nourish the Yang energy. Then, first take grass and trees to save the deficiency, and then take golden elixirs to stabilize the infinite. The principle of immortality is concluded here. If one is determined to let go of one's heart, claiming to have a clear understanding of one's destiny, not to be swayed by heretics, to exert oneself to the extreme, and not to live for a long time, upon hearing such words, even if the wind passes by one's ears and the electricity passes through one's eyes, it is not enough to explain. Though the body is withered in the midst of lingering, the breath is exhausted in the leisure of 纨, and one is content with it, how can one tell him about health preservation? Not only is it not accepted, but it is also called demonic error. And I hope that he will believe it. This is what is meant by providing the blind with clarity and entertaining the deaf with silk and bamboo.